What does it take to build a dominant football team? If anyone at the local level would know the answer to that question, it would be Zaine Pierre.
The former national team captain and former player at the Italian club Genoa has taken the reins of local football giants La Clery and has been a crucial part of their historic year.
Pierre’s passion for football is evident on the sidelines during fixtures, visibly animated in his technical area, whether his team is in ascendancy or not.
La Clery has swept this year’s key football competitions, finishing as champions of the Saint Lucia Football Association (SLFA) Island Cup, the inaugural Saint Lucia Semi-Professional Football League, and the Blackheart Knockout Football Tournament.
Behind the glitz and glamour of silverware, however, there has been a lot of hard work and dedication, according to Pierre.
La Clery has been a force to reckon with in several local competitions over the last five years, making deep runs in various tournaments. Pierre noted that this success is not mere good fortune, but part of an ongoing project to elevate football in the Castries community.
“I want to congratulate my entire team, which includes my staff, my executive, and most importantly, my players. It has been a wonderful year for the La Clery senior football team. The Blackheart tournament is something we’ve craved for a while now. For two years in a row, we were knocked out in the semifinals through penalties. This year, my players showed a different focus and hunger, especially after securing the first-ever Saint Lucia Semi-Pro Football League title not long ago.”
“It is not luck that La Clery are champions today. This is four to five years of hard work and sacrifice from my team. We have dominated local football for the past five years, and it’s not by luck, so please don’t take that away from my team. The players, the staff, and the community deserve this because it didn’t happen overnight! We have a project, and it has been working quite well for us. This is only the beginning. Our work continues.”
With Pierre at the helm, the men from La Clery are hoping to remain a force to reckon with in local football for years to come.
